Charges filed after men are caught with $150,000 worth of cocaine, meth

Published July 25, 2013 at 4:38 pm

In one arrest, the Dakota County Drug Task Force seized on Tuesday, July 23, three times as much cocaine as it had all of 2012.

Two Inver Grove Heights men were found in possession of 6 pounds of cocaine and 2 pounds of methamphetamine, which had an estimated street value of $120,000 and $30,000, respectively, according to Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

“This case involves significant quantities of illegal drugs,” Backstrom said. “Illegal drug abuse poses a significant threat to public safety. We are pleased that law enforcement was able to remove from the streets such a large quantity of illegal drugs.”

Mike Sanchez, 27, and Josue Ivan Ledezma-Lopez, 22, were charged with two felony first-degree controlled substance crimes after their arrest.

Agents used a confidential informant to order a large amount of controlled substances from Sanchez, to which he allegedly agreed to deliver to Brooklyn Park.

Sanchez was stopped en route to Brooklyn Park, and a backpack with approximately 2.2 pounds of cocaine was found inside his vehicle.

Sanchez denied that it is was his backpack.

Agents executed a search warrant on Sanchez’s residence and found over $22,000 in cash, more than 5.85 pounds of cocaine, 2.96 pounds of methamphetamine, and 1.1 ounce of marijuana.

Ledezma-Lopez was inside the residence when the search warrant was executed.

Both Sanchez and Ledezma-Lopez made their first appearance in court July 25 and bail in the amount of $500,000 without conditions ($400,000 with conditions) was set. Their next court appearance is set for Aug. 19 in Hastings.